Golden Bay

The hotel was very clean, the room cleaning was done to a high standard, and breakfast was excellent. All the staff were kind. Thanks to Rania for answering all my questions and arranging such a lovely apartment. Joanna and George at the pool bar deserve a mention too, they’re very friendly and make it a great place to hang out. Thanks for a wonderful holiday, we’ll definitely return. Kamila

Rania, the manager, made our anniversary really special. We’d only asked for a nice ocean view when booking, but she upgraded us to an incredible villa with amazing ocean views. It was clean and modern, with shops and restaurants within walking distance. She didn’t have to do that, and we highly recommend the hotel. My wife was so happy, and you know what they say, happy wife, happy life! Happy 29th, Babe!

After a week at Golden Bay, we left relaxed and the kids had loved it. The complex is small and quiet, right across a road from a stone beach, and the airport trip is short. George welcomed us late at night and was very nice. We paid €10 per night in local tax. Our room was clean and functional, though a bit cramped for a family of four. The pool looks small, but we never shared it with more than five people and always found a sunbed. Joanna and George at the pool bar are lovely, and there was always good music on the local radio. Breakfast was great, as was the bar food. The pool table is €2 a game. Some rooms face the sea. For our late 11pm departure, paying €50 for a day room after checkout at 11am was a godsend. There are a few drawbacks: the rooms are small, the cooking area doesn’t have much usable space, and the toilets smell. There was a drain issue outside our room. Planes pass overhead about every 20 minutes because the complex is under a direct flight path. Food and drink are somewhat pricey, though not too bad. Most rooms don’t have sea views, and the place would be challenging for someone with mobility issues. Gournes has eight places to eat and one small supermarket, with little else there. For a bakery and reasonably priced small supermarket, turn right and head up the street to the village. Going right toward the aquarium takes about five minutes and gets you to a lovely beach used by locals. The aquarium is a good outing in hot weather or with kids. Buses from the village go toward Hereklion. The small shop on the left is fine for snacks, but other shopping there is expensive. If you can, rent a car from Hereklion to get around more easily. The freenow app lets you book a taxi and see the fare, and saved us €20 on a trip to Knossos. Hope that helps, and that you enjoy your stay as much as we did.

We had another lovely holiday here at the end of September. We love this beautiful place from start to finish. Joanne was always there to greet us in the morning, the breakfast buffet team were amazing, and Rania was lovely too. George looked after things in the evening. We were lucky to meet a lovely couple on this trip as well 😀 Until next year, Golden Bay. Love, John and Lindsay Xx ❤️